An Act To Update the Laws Governing the Maine Public Employees Retirement System as They Relate to Wartime Veterans
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §17760, sub-§3, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 693, §3, is amended to read:
C. For purposes of this subsection, "federally recognized period of conflict" means World War I, April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 or to March 31, 1920 if service was in Russia; World War II, December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946; the Korean Conflict, June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955; the Vietnam War, August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 and the period beginning on February 28, 1961 and ending on May 7, 1975 in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period; and operations in Lebanon, August 21, 1982 to February 26, 1984; Operation Urgent Fury, October 25, 1983 to November 2, 1983; the Persian Gulf War, August 7 2, 1990 to April 6, 1991; Operation Enduring Freedom, October 7, 2001 to December 28, 2014; Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 19, 2003 to August 31, 2010; Operation New Dawn, September 1, 2010 to the date that the United States Government recognizes as the end of the Persian Gulf War Operation New Dawn; and Operation Freedom's Sentinel, January 1, 2015 to the date that the United States Government recognizes as the end of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §18360, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 2007, c. 249, §29, is further amended to read:
E. Except as provided in paragraph I, a member who served in the armed forces during any federally recognized period of conflict, is entitled to service credit under this subsection. For purposes of this paragraph, "federally recognized period of conflict" means World War I, April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 or to March 31, 1920 if service was in Russia; World War II, December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946; the Korean Conflict, June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955; the Vietnam War, August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 and the period beginning on February 28, 1961 and ending on May 7, 1975 in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period; and operations in Lebanon, August 21, 1982 to February 26, 1984; Operation Urgent Fury, October 25, 1983 to November 2, 1983; the Persian Gulf War, August 7 2, 1990 to April 6, 1991; Operation Enduring Freedom, October 7, 2001 to December 28, 2014; Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 19, 2003 to August 31, 2010; Operation New Dawn, September 1, 2010 to the date that the United States Government recognizes as the end of the Persian Gulf War Operation New Dawn; and Operation Freedom's Sentinel, January 1, 2015 to the date that the United States Government recognizes as the end of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
SUMMARY
Current law allows members of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System to purchase military time to add those years to their years of creditable service for purposes of calculating their retirement benefits. The cost of purchasing military time depends in part on whether a member served during a federally recognized period of conflict. This bill updates the definition of "federally recognized period of conflict" to include service during operations in Lebanon, August 21, 1982 to February 26, 1984; operations in Grenada, October 25, 1983 to November 2, 1983; the Persian Gulf War, August 2, 1990 to April 6, 1991; and operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, October 7, 2001 to the present.